Barcelona face the risk of losing more academy players amid change in Saudi Arabia’s strategy | OneFootball

When Unai Hernandez left Barcelona to join Al Ittihad in January, many believed it was a one-off transfer orchestrated by a former Barça director Ramon Planes.

However, it appears it is part of Saudi Arabia’s bigger plan of making the Pro League a more inclusive league.

It seems Saudi Arabia has evolved from only signing proven or established European stars at lofty valuations.

They are now also eyeing moves for young players looking to make a fortune in the world of football, with Unai Hernandez being an excellent case in point.

Barcelona could be the main victim

As reported by SPORT, Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy has become a prime target for this new strategy, as emissaries from Saudi clubs have increased their presence at the Ciutat Esportiva.

Al-Ittihad’s sporting director, Planes, was seen attending a Youth League match between Barcelona and Dinamo Zagreb, further signalling the growing interest in Barça’s academy players.

Unai Hernandez’s January move shocked everyone (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia has launched an ambitious ‘Young Players’ programme, which focuses on acquiring young talents and either integrating them into the Saudi Pro League or loaning them out to European clubs.

The idea is to give these players a stable pathway for development while also maintaining control over their futures.

This means Saudi-backed teams could soon hold the rights to an increasing number of emerging stars, potentially making it harder for clubs like Barcelona to retain their best prospects.

The precedent has already been set with Spanish talents like Gabri Veiga and Unai Hernandez opting to leave Europe for Saudi Arabia, and more names could follow.

Barcelona, to that end, must become more vigilant when it comes to protecting the future and interests of their academy stars.